Layered, decadent, and smooth as hell. Smells so inviting, you'll want to dab some on your wrist.

6. Flor de Caña 7 Year

$20

There's a reason Flor de Caña is Nicaragua's best-know export. The 7 year is distilled for serious rum aficionados, but priced for mixing.

7. Diplomatico

$30

Venezuela can keep their oil as long as they don't stop exporting Diplomatico. Intense flavors of caramelized fruits, serious body, and the kind of smoothness you'd expect from 13 years of aging.

8. Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva

$30

Complex and elegant, with all the burnt-sugar, molasses, and banana flavors you could ever want. Sip this one straight.

Bacardi 8

$20

If your liquor store doesn't stock the small-batch stuff, pick up a bottle of this aged rum from Bacardi, which has plenty of vanilla and a smoky, oaky complexity.

Make This Drink

The Painkiller Daiquiri

The daiquiri is simple to ecute and—except for a great rum—is made from ingredients available at any grocery store. Sweet, sour, and strong, this classic cocktail is refreshing in summer and transporting when the weather sucks. This recipe comes from Painkiller on New York's Lower East Side, part of the new breed of tiki bars that take umbrella drinks very seriously.

Nine Rums for Right Now

Rum used to be either Harsh White or Harsh Spiced. But these days, hard-core mixologists are making tiki drinks, and you can pick up sugarcane juice as complex and delicious as a single malt for much less cash. It's time to get to know your rums